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(No Model.) G. LA DUE.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

I IIIH I'IC minim No. 307,964. Patentd Nov. 11, 1884.

' llNrrE TATES CHARLES H. LA DUE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE LA DUE MECHANICAL MOVEMENT COMPANY, OF NEWV YORK.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,964, dated November 11, 1884.

Application filed June 5, 1884. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. LA DUE, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of- New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Mechanical Movement, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object mechanism for converting a reciprocating rectilinear motion into rotary motion, and vice versa, applicable as an attachment to piston-rods of steamcngines and of locomotives to produce rotary motion in the belt-wheel, flywheels, or drivers of said structures, or to produce a reciprocating motion in punches, pump-rods, or the like apparatus, when usedin combination with a crank or similar device caused to revolve; and I effect the results stated by attaching to areetilinearly-reciprocatingpistonrod or connecting-bar a head having a slot or groove formed therein, in which slot or groove the equivalent of a crank-pin works, and to which is given a rotary motion by the action of the slot or groove.

In the accompanying drawings like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 illustrates my invention applied to the driving-wheels of a locomotive, and is a verti cal section taken on the median line of the piston rod. Fig. 2 illustrates atop plan view of the invention as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates a vertical longitudinal section of the head.

A A are the ordinary driving-wheels of a 10- comotive, mounted on their respective shafts or axles, B B, as usual, the axles being attached to the frame of the locomotive in any known manner.

0 O are pins, which may be substantially the same as the ordinary crank-pins attached to locomotives as now generally constructed, and which are rigidly attached to the spokes or plate of the wheel at such point between the tread and center of the wheel as desired, de-

pending upon the desired length of pistonstroke.

D is an ordinary cylinder attached to the frame of the locomotive in any known manner.

E is the piston, andF the piston-rod. The

cylinder is fitted with a stuffing-box, G, and other appliances, all as usual.

H-H are what I will call the driving-heads. There is one for each driving-wheel; and they preferably consist of a block or plate of metal, although they may be made of other material, made integral with the piston-rod, or as a separate piece rigidly attached to it in any suitable manner. It may, however, be constructed of several pieces bolted or otherwise fast ened together, all that is essential being that there should be a slot, groove, or equivalent feature for the reception of the pin 0. Through it is formed a slot, I, of such width that it will receive the crank-pin O, and of a length equal to a little more than the diameter of the circle described by the crank-pin, and its center lengthwise should preferably be coincident with the center of rotation. Instead of the slot,

completely through the head H a groove may be employed.

K is a connecting-rod rigidly attaching the two driving-heads H H together, thus being practically an extension of the piston-rod F. The connecting-rod is preferably squared in cross-section, or at least made of some shape other than round, and it passes through a hole of the same shape as itself made in the guide or way block L, which is rigidly attached to any suitable part of the frame of the locomotive. This guide or way block serves not only to support the connectingrod, but, owing to the hole through it being of some shape other than round, and the connecting-rod fitting it, it prevents the connecting-rod from turning over, and consequently the driving-heads are held in a position to keep them in proper engagement with the crank-pins.

L is another similar guide or way block behind the second driver, its purpose being the same as that of L. Any suitable means for supporting, guiding, and preventing rotation of the connecting-rods and the driving-heads may be substituted for these guide or way blocks.

It will of course be understood that when my invention is used on locomotives or engines in which there are two cylinders and pistonrods the crank-pins of the respective drivingwheels, belt-wheels, or fly-wheels, as the case may be, are set on the quarter relative to each other, as usual in such structures, so that deadcenters are avoided.

I provide for lost motion and wear of the sides of the slots I and of the crank-pins G as follows: Illustrated in Fig. 3, M M are two solid bars or plates, of brass or other suitable metal, which form the friction-surfaces between the crank-pins and the inside of the slot, and in order that the wear may come on them,and not on the sides of the slot in the driving-head,- they are made a trifle shorter than the slot is long, and project inwardly beyond the edges of the slot; and they are rigidly attached to the follower-keys N N, which are set in recesses made for them in the d rivin g-heads, the back edges of the recesses and of the keys having an inclination from a true vertical line, but the front edges of the keys, which rest against and support the friction-bars M, are preferably perfectly vertical, and the wearingsurfaces of the bars made also perfectly vertical ,or atleast on lines at right angles to the plane of movement of the piston or other rod. The frictionbars or the keys, one or both, are made of such width that they bind strongly against the sides of the recess 1'11 which they are contained, so that they cannot be moved, except by a blow of a hammer on the upper end of the keys, or by the action of the nuts 0 on the ends of the keys; and whenever the friction-bars or the crank-pins wear away, so that lost motion results, the keys are forced downwardly by such blow of a hammer on their upper ends,whieh causes them to slide slightly down through the recess provided for them, and thus by the ac tion of the inclined surfaces of the back side of the keys and of the recesses in which they are contained the friction-bars are forced slightly inward toward the center of the slot I and the lost motion is taken up. I also provide the threaded nuts 0, which engage with the ends of the keys, which are suitably threaded for the purpose, so that the keys may be drawn down and the adjustment of the friction-bars attained, if desired,with greater exactness than by the employment of the strokes of a hammer. The frictionbars may, however, if desired, be the full length of the slot I, and be attached to the keys by a dovetailed groove, so that the keys will slide on them.

The operation of my invention is simple. Assume that the pin 0 is in the position shown in Fig. l. Steam is let on in front of or behind the piston, as the case may be, and, depending thereon, the piston-rod will move in or out of the cylinder, and will move the driving-head in accordance with its movement. The bars at the sides of the slot or groove I will impinge against the pin 0 and rotate the wheel or shaft, as the case may be, to which the pin is attached. Thus at each double stroke of the piston the pin 0 describes a complete revolution.

\Vhen my invention is employed to operate punches, pump-rods, and such structures, of

course the relative arrangement of the parts is altered, as will be understood by any one familiar with this art. For instance. a crank or equivalent device will be the source of power, from which a projecting pin or equivalent device will engage with the slot I, and the rod corresponding to the piston-rod will be supported and compelled to move rectilinearl y by a suitable box or ways, through or over which the rod will move.

lVhen my invention is applied to ordinary stationary engines, a pin similar to a crankpin may be attached to an arm or equivalent device fastened to the main shaft of the engine, or upon any suitable part of the main balance or belt wheel, or in any other desired manner, and in any suitable place.

There are many advantages flowing from my invention. Among them are the following: The engine or locomotive is made lighter; the cumbrous yoke usually used on engines is done away with, and also the pitman and its cross-head; the joints between the pitman and the cross-head in which it works, which are continually getting out of order, are done away with; there are fewer bearings requiring oil; also, there is a reciprocating motion, pure and simple, not a combined reciprocating and circular movement; hence the apparatus moves with more smoothness and occasions much less tremor than when both these motions are present; also, myinvention enables an engine to start nearer the (lead-point than by the old constructions; also, the valverods may be connected to the piston or connecting rod more conveniently than on the present engines, and there being fewer parts and a less number of moving surfaces, accident to the engineers are not so apt to occur.

I do not limit myself to the details of construction; they may be considerably departed from and still my invention be employed.

It is obvious that my device may be set vertically as well as horizontally, and also at any desired angle.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A rectilinearly-reciprocating rod provided with a slot or groove, acrank-pin adapted to slide in the slot or groove, and a guide for the rod, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of a piston-rod, a guide for the free end of the piston-rod, a connecting-rod, one end of which engages with the free end of the piston-rod, and a groove or slot formed in or attached to the connectingrod, and a crank-pin adapted to slide in the said slot or groove, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the driving-head H, provided with the slot or groove I, and a crank-pin adapted to slide in the slot or groove I, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of the driving-head I-I,

provided with the'slot or groove I, and the wearing-bars M and the keys N substantially duce a rotary motion in the crank-pin, sub- IO as and for the purposes set forth. stantially as and for the purposes set forth 5. The combination of a slotted or grooved Signed at New York, in the county of New block or plate guided and supported and a York and State of New York, this 4th (lay of crank-pin adapted to slide in the groove or May, A. D. 1884.

slot in the block, Wherebya rotary motion in1-- CHARLES H. LA DUE,

parted to the crank-pin will produce a recip- I Vitnesses: r

rocating motion in the block, and a recipro- JoHN J. CAULDWELL,

eating motion imparted to the block will pro- 1 WALTER H. ORITTENDEN. 

